Jacksonville
by Shadows de la Nuit
Summary: Bella and Edward decide to make their long delayed visit to Jacksonville to visit Renee and Phil. Please be aware that this story incorporates events from New Moon and therefore may contain spoilers. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

"How about next weekend?" I said.

There was a brief pause before Alice replied, "No, still sunny."

I sighed in exasperation. After weeks of applications and schoolwork, along with Charlie's constant nagging and overbearing behavior, I had decided that it was time for a break. What better than a short vacation to Jacksonville? It seemed like ages ago that Edward had pried up the floorboards to recover my pictures, CD, and the plane tickets, but since then the plane tickets had lied somewhat dejected on my dresser. It wasn't that I was unhappy to have them, but they had seemed unimportant compared to other things I had lost when Edward left. Now, however, the tickets seemed to scream at me every morning, yelling, "Use me! Use me!" And I wanted to. Now that Edward was back, it seemed unfair that I ignored everyone else for so long. It was bad enough that Charlie had had to witness me in my zombie state, but my mother had not even had that. She had received nothing but second-hand accounts of my wasting away and a few sporadic emails that I couldn't even remember sending.

"Alice, do you have any idea when it isn't going to be sunny?"

"Bella, Edward can manage to stay indoors for a few days. I don't know why you are putting me through this. I've used my talent for a few trivial things before, but this is getting ridiculous."

I sighed. Alice was right; for the past few weeks, I had asked for an updated weather report every time I saw her. It seemed impossible that it was always sunny in Jacksonville, but it was. Just like it was almost always cloudy here in Forks. "Alice," I said, trying to ignore her annoyed look, "I'm just so excited about going to Florida. I know I'll have to pick a weekend eventually, but I want it to be perfect. I know it's unfair to always be asking, but really, who wouldn't take advantage of a perfect weatherman? You should think about becoming a meteorologist, Alice. I know it wouldn't be a ton of fun, but think how much people would benefit from actually knowing what the weather will be. Plus, with your sparkling personality…"

Alice cut me off. "Yes, Bella. And not just my personality would sparkle under those news station lights. Remember that tiny little thing about trying to be inconspicuous?" She laughed at my abject expression. "Bella, you can be so silly. Fine, let me start checking other weekends. You know it gets a little less certain the farther I go, but maybe I'll see some clouds in the near future."

She closed her eyes in concentration as I drummed my fingers on the kitchen table. I wondered when Edward and Jasper would get back. Charlie had left for the weekend for a fishing trip, and although his strict rules were still in effect, he had decided that it was alright if Alice stayed over the house to keep me company. I wondered why he thought I would obey his house arrest when he was gone, but I found no reason to leave. Edward had joined Alice's and my little party and even Jasper had come intermittently to the house. I began wondering what we would do that night when Alice gave a little exultant noise.

"Two weekends from now it will be cloudy. I'm certain." A satisfied smile crossed her lips.

I looked down at the calendar in front of me. "No, that won't work."

Alice stared at me incredulously. "What do you mean that won't work? I've been checking the weather for weeks, I finally find some cloud cover, and you say, 'That won't work?'"

"Well, Phil's going to be out of town."

"Does that matter? Renee will still be home, right?"

"Yes, I guess. She said she wasn't going to any of the early season away games because of work, but I'd rather Phil be there."

"Why?"

"Well, you know how my mom can be: eccentric, unconventional, a tad disapproving about certain things… I know Edward won't care, but Phil keeps my mom a little bit more grounded. Plus, if she's worried about Edward and I being too serious, she won't be as likely to say anything with Phil around."

"Oh, Bella. Fine, let me go a little further. Any problems with three weeks from now?"

I looked at the calendar again, "No, that should be fine. Thanks, Alice."

"You're welcome."


	2. Chapter 2

"Alice, can you please check one more time to make sure that the plane won't crash?"

I looked balefully at Edward. The last time he had asked, I had told him about all of the plane rides I had ever taken, three of which had either been with him or a member of his family. The plane hadn't crashed in a single one of those instances. Sometimes, I thought he took the "danger magnet" thing a little too far. But as I tried to look at him sternly, I couldn't help but melt at the sight of his concerned golden eyes. I sighed, trying to remember why someone so wonderful should be concerned over me. Go ahead and let the plane crash…

Alice laughed, whether at Edward's question or my pathetic attempts to be angry, I don't know. Edward must have seen that we wouldn't crash once he asked, though, because he smiled and said, "I guess we are all ready to go then." I gave Alice a quick hug and excitedly began walking toward the terminal. I had said my goodbyes to Charlie earlier at the house. He was happy that I was going to visit Renee, but I don't think he overly approved of my travel companion. I hoped that somehow things would be less strained when I got home, but I wasn't too optimistic. Three days wasn't a very long time.

I hadn't gotten too far down the walkway before the unbalanced weight of my shoulder bag caused me to dangerously tip to one side. A cold hand steadied me as the owner's voice said, "Bella, please hand me that bag before you trip."

I laughed teasingly and said, "I'm sorry. Didn't you hear that you're only allowed one carry-on? I'd love to give you my bag, but it would be strictly against the rules."

"Vampires are not well-known for following rules, Bella," he said, a wicked smile playing across his face. Before I could even utter a gasp, not only my bag, but also my whole self was in his arms.

"Put me down, Edward!"

"Hmm, any particular reason why? I know you won't trip this way."

"We're in an airport!"

"That is a pitiful reason, Bella, but if it makes you happy." He gently put me down. My cheeks flushed as I noticed a few people staring. I sighed. Oh well, let them think what they want. Almost if on cue, though, I found myself staring at the ground rather than the people around me. If they weren't staring before, they were now.

I don't think I have ever heard Edward laugh so loud. Any traces of the guarded, saddened laughs that had followed his return were gone in that instant. He couldn't stop laughing as he picked up my bag and helped me to my feet. As the embarrassment subsided, I began to laugh, too.

As he began to collect himself, Edward said, "That was perfect. If the rest of our trip is absolutely awful, I won't care at all."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I should be doing encores for…the rest of my life. Unless…"

"Bella, for the sake of argument, even if you were changed into a vampire right this instant, I really don't think it would help your balance problems. Remember the theory about your strongest trait being intensified?"

"You can not possibly think that my clumsiness would be the one thing that would be strengthened, do you?"

"I've entertained the idea."

"That's just…just…awful!"

He laughed again.

I could feel the dread creeping over me. He was probably right. I had hoped that if I were converted, that I'd have some kind of gift like Alice's or Edward's. Aro and his tests, along with Edward's own thoughts on the matter, had made me believe that maybe I possessed some kind of mind power. But this mind power, if it were overshadowed by anything, was overshadowed by my complete lack of coordination. Great – Bella the Vampire Klutz.

"Of course I don't believe that," Edward interrupted my thoughts as the overwhelming disappointment registered on my face. "Your clumsiness, while endearing, hardly makes you who you are." He smiled my favorite crooked smile. "I really hope, though, that there never comes a time when you aren't tripping over your own two feet."

"Oh, yes. You enjoy being the knight in shining armor who doesn't rescue the damsel from the tower but rather from the floor."

"It is much easier. But no tower could ever stop me from getting to you."

"I know," I said. He paused and looked at me before I felt his cold lips on my forehead. I gave him a pleading look and he bent down a bit so I could kiss him on the lips. The kiss was brief, but I felt much happier.

We continued walking, now with my carry-on secured on Edward's shoulder and his arm around my shoulders. I felt less worried about my clumsiness the more I thought about it. I could handle being more uncoordinated in exchange for eternity with Edward. It didn't hurt too badly when I fell, and really, if I were as hard as granite…


	3. Chapter 3

"First-class again?" I said as Edward pulled me back. We were on the plane, and though I knew that we wouldn't be in business class, I tried to continue walking past the luxury seats to the more practical, and inexpensive, seating.

"Didn't you notice on the tickets?" Edward looked at me skeptically, either trying to figure out why I was upset about first-class or how I could be so unobservant.

"Not really." I sat down as he effortlessly put the carry-ons overhead. I settled down into the plush seat and sighed. Esme and Carlisle couldn't have picked a better present, but business class would have been fine.

My eighteenth birthday seemed so long ago. Terrible memories began to drift to my consciousness, but I quickly suppressed them. I looked to make sure Edward was still sitting next to me. And he was, looking perfect in every possible way. "Oh!" I exclaimed, upset at my own forgetfulness.

"What?"

"I forgot the scrapbook! Of all the things I wanted to remember, I promised myself I'd bring it to show my mom."

"Oh, that's all? You are human, you know. Things slip your mind." Edward's expression was smug, and it wasn't hard to guess what he was getting at.

"You could have reminded me, you know."

"No, I wanted to see how long it would take you to remember. Or notice it. It is in your bag. You weren't watching it as it went through security?"

"No, I wasn't expecting them to find anything suspicious about me. I was more concerned about you."

"Oh, really? May I ask why?"

"Well, you know all your documents aren't real. I wasn't expecting anyone to find anything wrong with them, but I wondered."

"Bella, we've been doing this for years. Besides, the license is entirely authentic. The birth certificate that I used to get it might not be, but there was no problem in passing the driving test and getting my picture put on a nice little card."

"What color eyes does it say you have?"

"Oh, it's quite descriptive; 'golden eyes when satiated, black eyes when thirsty; may have red eyes if a heinous crime has been committed.'" He chuckled. "It's not like anyone pays that much attention, anyway."

"Very funny." He apparently thought it was. He continued laughing as the plane began to take off.


	4. Chapter 4

"Bella!" Even without Edward's extraordinary hearing, I could hear my mother shouting as we walked off of the plane into the airport. I smiled and, grasping Edward's hand, we made our way over to my mom and Phil.

"Oh, Bella! It is so good to see you! And Edward, too! How nice!" I'm sure my mother didn't think it was a nice as she tried to make it sound. I couldn't help thinking about what Charlie must have told her. What was passing through her mind? Did she blame Edward as much as Charlie did for my zombie-like behavior before? She had expressed her concerns over our relationship back in Phoenix; what did she think now? I'd have to ask Edward later. I looked up at him and saw him smiling. I forgot about my concerns and turned to hug my mom tightly.

"It's good to see you, too, Mom. And Phil." He was standing off a bit, but he looked happy when I mentioned his name and took a step forward.

"Hi, Bella. Edward." Edward nodded his head. I'm sure he thought about shaking Phil's hand, but in the Florida heat, I knew he'd be hard-pressed to explain why his hand was so cold. I laughed silently to myself as I looked at him. Everyone around us was wearing shirts and shorts, enjoying the warmth. Edward was covered head to foot. Although we had discovered that it was indeed cloudy when we landed, he still hadn't wanted to take any chances.

Phil spoke again, "You look like you could use some help, Edward. Those bags must be heavy."

Edward laughed, and I knew how light they were to him. But he smiled and politely replied, "That would be great, Phil." He handed him my blue carry-on and Phil placed it on his shoulder. My mom smiled at him.

"I guess we should go to the house now. Everyone ready?" Edward and I followed my mom and Phil as they made their way out of the airport to the car.

The car ride was mostly uneventful. Pleasantries were exchanged about the weather and school and friends. I asked Phil how baseball was going, inquired how my mom was enjoying her latest career. Edward looked surprised when my mother started talking about the weddings she was planning. I looked at him innocently as if to say, "I didn't tell you? My mom is a wedding planner now." I wasn't sure how that information would go over. I couldn't forget the proposal he had made and any mentions of weddings were certain to bring up the subject. I sighed. I knew from the look on his face that he would bring it up now as soon as we were alone. Oh, well. I'd just have to make sure we stayed around Phil and Renee. I wondered if Edward would come into my room at night. No one was more stealthy or cautious as Edward, but would he risk it in my mom's unfamiliar home? I became a bit depressed at the thought as my mom exclaimed, "Here we are!"

It was weird seeing the unknown house and connecting it with my mother. It was, well, tidy. None of it seemed to betray the craziness of my mom's creativity or spontaneity. The shutters were all white, the house the same pale yellow my mom had mentioned when she first told me of it a year ago. I wondered if Phil had anything to do with it. The yard was nicely kept, the green grass reminding me of the pleasant green blanket that covered Forks. Yellow daffodils sprouted happily in a small garden in front of the house. It was…quaint. That seemed like an adequate word, and one I never thought I would use in regard to anything having to do with my mother.

"The house is really nice, Mom."

"Isn't it? I knew you'd like it. We have room, you know…" She trailed off suggestively. I instinctively squeezed Edward's hand. I knew that he wouldn't even dream of my wanting to stay in Jacksonville, but just in case, I wanted to give him some kind of reassurance. He just continued to gaze unconcernedly out the window, but I saw the corners of his mouth lift into a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

As we all got out of the car, Edward mentioned something about calling his parents to tell them we had landed safely and allowing me to talk with my mom and Phil alone for a bit. I slightly shivered at the word "alone," but seeing the smile on my mom's face, I let her drag me towards the house as Edward remained outside. I watched him sit down on a swing hanging from the large oak tree next to the house. The picture of him sitting there, peaceful and angelic, made me sigh. My mom looked at me curiously as we walked through the door. Phil seemed to receive some kind of cue from my mom and proceeded on upstairs as we walked into a living room. I cringed as I saw myself, all different ages, staring at me in various hand-crafted frames on the mantle. My mom was also staring at me, then finally began talking.

"So everything is going well, Bella?"

"Of course, Mom. Why wouldn't it be?" I began to wish that I had said that I wanted to say hi to Carlisle and Esme, too. Maybe it wasn't too late…

"Well, I know this year has been hard for you. Senior year can be intense: college applications, tests, friends…" She got a bit quieter. "Charlie said he just upped and left, Bella, no explanation or anything. You know how close we were to bringing you here. Charlie said it was if someone had died…"

"Everything is fine, Mom." I really didn't want to have this conversation. To be quite honest, I couldn't think of any rational reason to explain why he left. I could bring up the soul issue with my mom, but that involved talking about a few other things, one being that Edward was a vampire. That was sure to go over well. Maybe I could mention that his long absence was just an anticipation builder for a marriage proposal. "It was just a misunderstanding, Mom," I finally said. Charlie didn't seem to believe that, and I was sure neither would she, but it was all I could come up with.

"If you say so, honey. I just want you to be happy." She tried to smile more cheerfully and I tried to return the smile. "So, do you want to do anything particular while you're here?"

Edward must have been listening in, for as soon as subject changed, I saw him coming in through the door. I smiled earnestly now, relieved to know that he hadn't disappeared and that the uncomfortable conversation with my mom was over for the time-being.

"Everyone says hi, Bella," Edward said brightly as he entered. He put his arm around my shoulders and continued, "Alice was especially glad to hear the plane didn't crash." My mom laughed a little nervously, and then repeated her question.

"Do you two want to do anything particular while you're here? I'm not sure if you've ever been to Florida, Edward, but I know this is Bella's first time. She's never been farther east than Albuquerque." I couldn't help but burst out laughing. I tried as hard as I could to gather myself. My mother looked at my sudden hysterics questionably and Edward exercised the control I didn't have and merely smiled. I eventually got my laughing down to a quiet giggle. I really wasn't sure why I was laughing; it was either at the irony of what my mother had said or my own nerves acting up as I remembered my time in Italy. Attempting to pull myself together, I tried to answer, but thankfully Edward addressed my mom first.

"Actually, I was hoping that maybe I could take you, Phil, and Bella out for a nice dinner. Would that be alright, Mrs. Dwyer?"

"You can call me Renee, Edward. And that is really sweet of you, but you are a guest here. I couldn't possibly accept such an offer."

I have to admit I agreed with my mom that Edward's gesture was sweet, but I was secretly pleased that she had refused him. Edward couldn't be allowed to always have his way – especially when it came to dining. I couldn't particularly understand why he insisted on expensive restaurants when the food he ordered for appearances only was simply wasted. Well, I guess not entirely wasted. Usually, he removed as much food as needed to look like he enjoyed his meal and then had the rest of it boxed to take to some beggar on the street. His generosity was admirable, but neither the beggar nor I cared that the food was almost unfathomably expensive. But he insisted. It was on more than one occasion that when my persistence finally seemed to persuade him, Edward would mention something about if he could eat food, this would be what he wanted to eat. Then my arguments would fail and I couldn't help but give in. This time, however, I hoped that my mom would be able to stand firm. She never had been very stubborn, though. I looked at Edward quickly and frowned at what was about to happen.

Edward's eyes began to smolder, the way they did when he did get his way. It really was unfair. "Please, Mrs. – I mean, Renee? There's this Thai restaurant I heard about in San Marco, right outside of town. I believe it's called Pom's. I really would love to take you all there."

Well, if the eye smoldering thing was unfair, it could hardly amount to what he had just done. It was too much that he had managed to name an actual restaurant, not alone a Thai one. I knew it was no coincidence that he had named my mother's favorite type of food. Smoldering eyes, reading minds… I really would be angry if I could. But I could never manage it. The smoldering eyes would bore into mine and I would see the love there, the love that said that he only wanted to make me happy; the love that said he was only doing what he thought was best. My eyes would reflect that same love and I would give in to almost anything – almost. One, I would never let him leave again, no matter what danger existed. Two, I was going to become a vampire…

Neither of these things, however, pertained to what we were going to eat that night and I felt like giving Edward a bit of surprise. I spoke up and said, "Mom, I really think it would be nice if Edward took us out. It would be really great to drive around some and I'm sure it would make Edward really happy if he didn't think we were completely imposing on you." Edward did look at me with a bit of surprise. He smiled and turned expectantly to Renee.

"Well, if you both insist, I guess a little night out would be fun! I'll go get Phil, and, if you two are ready, we can go ahead and leave now." She left the living room and went upstairs.

"That was different," Edward said as soon as my mom had left. He smiled happily and continued, "It wouldn't hurt for you to agree with me more often. You see how much time is saved when you don't spend it hopelessly arguing?"

"I guess I could agree with you a little more often. That would mean, however, that you should do the same…"

"Bella, all I said was that you had to marry me first. Your mom can even plan the wedding."

Note: Many thank yous to icyfingers13 for providing me with a restaurant, to the Sherlock absconder for reading it over, and to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you enjoyed! I'll add more as soon as I can…


	6. Chapter 6

After a short drive, Phil, my mom, Edward, and I arrived at the restaurant. I was surprised that I hadn't noticed on the way home from the airport, but I could tell Edward was a little irritated the whole drive. For once, he wasn't the one driving and I could tell that he was attempting to will the speedometer to go just a little bit higher as Phil stayed faithfully within the speed limit. I didn't mind the drive at all; I spent it with my hand happily in Edward's and observing his slight frustration in amusement.

We were seated within minutes, although the restaurant was pleasantly crowded. There were enough people there to indicate that the food was well-liked, but not enough people to make you feel claustrophobic or impatient waiting in line. Once we were at the table, the waiter was just about to take our drink orders when my mother's cell phone began to ring.

"Hello? Oh! Diane! How is everything? Yes, yes I know. You wanted to change the theme for your daughter's wedding. Yes, we need to talk about it soon. Now? Are you sure you can't wait? You see…" I could hear the woman on the other side continue talking and my mother looked at us apologetically. She whispered, "I'll be right back" and rose from her seat to go somewhere quieter. I sighed and Edward simply smiled. Phil ordered his and my mom's drinks and Edward and I ordered ours. As the waiter walked away, Phil addressed Edward.

"So Edward, do you like baseball?" I smiled. Edward loved baseball, and I knew he could play it much better than Phil ever could. Edward smiled, too, and answered.

"I like baseball quite a bit, Mr. Dwyer. Bella told me that you play for a living. It must be a wonderful career."

"Well, it certainly has its ups and downs, but you play for the love of the game. That's all that really matters. Not how bad your team is, or how much you have to travel, or how much playing time you get…" Phil trailed off. Some of his enthusiasm wore off as he continued to talk. I felt bad that Phil's passion would never equal his skill. Eventually, he'd have to let his dream of professional play go and settle down. It was lucky, however, that he and Renee had found each other…neither of them was much for settling. My mom would always be his biggest fan and encourage his dreaming. As I thought about the two of them, I noticed that I had missed where the conversation had gone to. Phil was still talking.

"To be quite honest, I'm disappointed. I expected a much greater challenge. And, after all, I only needed a little luck. Getting on this team wasn't too hard at all, but there have been some playing time issues since then." It was hard for me to concentrate on what he was saying. I was getting the oddest sense of déjà vu…

"In a game with this many players, there's always a position open for someone. But once you're on the team, that's when things get difficult." I could see Edward politely nodding his head. Something was wrong, though. The déjà vu was becoming a bit overwhelming. My head felt as if it were swimming as bits and pieces of what Phil had said repeated over in my mind… _To be quite honest, I'm disappointed. I expected a much greater challenge. And, after all, I only needed a little luck… In a game with this many players…_I felt myself shiver, but I couldn't figure out why. Edward looked concernedly in my direction, but Phil continued talking.

"It was really funny how I got on the team, though. You know what they say about one man's misfortune being another man's fortune? Well, the guy they had playing shortstop got in trouble for being with friends who were dealing drugs. He was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and indisputably running with the wrong crowd." _The wrong crowd_…

"Oh, well here comes Renee. I know she likes to act like she cares, but I know she doesn't always like me talking about baseball. It's nice to talk to a guy about things. Sorry about that, Bella. I know you don't particularly like baseball, but isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in all this?" He smiled and laughed. I fainted.


	7. Chapter 7

"Bella? Bella?" I could hear a voice frantically calling out my name. For the third time since I met Edward, I seriously considered whether or not I was dead. An angel was repeating my name; a cold hand was placed soothingly on my forehead. Then I heard the loud horn of a truck driving by. Nope, definitely not heaven.

"Yes?" I asked dazedly, attempting to lift my head to look around. The surroundings were very unfamiliar.

"Bella! Are you alright?" It was Edward. I forgot about the unfamiliar surroundings and gazed at him.

"Of course I'm alright." My head said otherwise, but I ignored it. Something was nagging me…what had just happened?

"Bella, you just fainted. Phil and Renee are trying to get the bill and come out here, but what's wrong?" His eyes were anxious and I noticed how black they were getting.

"Edward, I think you should go hunting soon. My mom and Phil might notice that your eyes are getting darker." Speaking of dark, or in the dark for that matter, I couldn't remember why I had fainted. Some kind of dread, or fear, filled me. There was something about what Phil had said…

"Oh!"

"What is it?"

"Don't worry about it." I couldn't believe it. My face flushed as I realized why I had fainted. Not that it wasn't completely irrational, but after a year…

"Bella, tell me why you fainted." I knew Edward was concerned, but I could hear his voice betraying a slight impatience, too. I looked at him and his voice softened as he continued. "Is it something you can explain to Renee and Phil?" Oh.

"Edward, help me with a quick excuse. I promise I'll tell you later."

"If you promise…" He smiled. "It's really too bad I can't cut myself. Blood could easily explain why you fainted…"

"Edward! Absolutely not!"

"Well, it is not exactly an issue. So what shall it be? I've never known you to faint from hunger, but I guess I could make it out as if I didn't allow you to eat before our trip."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'd like a valid explanation, if you please."

"Well, it would help if I knew why you fainted in the first place."

"Edward…"

"Bella, honey! Are you alright?" Great.

"Yes, Mom. I'm fine." Actually, I could feel my heart rate increasing, my forehead sweating, my brain frantically trying to come up with an excuse…

"Do you know what happened? Maybe it's a side-effect of your accident last year." As if she needed to bring that up now. "You don't think she has any permanent brain damage, do you Phil?" She looked at him as if she were consulting a neurosurgeon, bracing herself for tragic news. "It wouldn't take a year for symptoms to arise, would it?"

"Bella saw a bug." I gaped at Edward. For decades of experience, lies, and deception, that may have been the worst possible explanation ever.

"Oh, my! What kind of bug was it, honey? Was it a cockroach? To think that the restaurant looked so nice…" She had to be kidding. I looked at Edward. Edward just smiled. "Well, I think we should go home immediately. Edward, do you mind staying with Bella while we go get the car?"

"Of course not, Renee. We'll be right here waiting."

My mom and Phil walked off as I remained looking at Edward incredulously.

"A bug?"

"Your mom thought she saw one when we entered the restaurant tonight. She was thinking about bringing it up, but she didn't want to ruin our evening. She was on the look-out though."

"Great, another embarrassment to add to the list: a bug-obsessed mother."

"Another embarrassment?"

"Well…"

"Bella, you turned utterly white while we were in there. What was it?"

"Phil said some things that just reminded me of something… it's really not that big of a deal." I could see James, though, and remember what he had said to me in the mirrored room. I could hear the words he had taunted me with and a chill ran through me; _To be quite honest, I'm disappointed. I expected a much greater challenge. And, after all, I only needed a little luck._ The words he spoke when I had realized that I had been tricked were clear in my mind; _Sorry about that, Bella, but isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in all this? _Weren't those the words that Phil had just spoken?

"Damn it, Bella! What is wrong?" I broke away from my reverie to stare at Edward. He looked right back at me and murmured something about just being concerned and not understanding why I wouldn't tell him. I sighed.

"Ok, but please be aware that this is completely idiotic. It's just that some of things Phil said reminded me of James. I know it's been awhile, and you know better than anyone that it's nothing but the past, but it was just weird hearing those words come out of Phil's mouth. The same exact ones, Edward."

The minute I finished, I could see Edward's face contort in pain. I suddenly remembered that he had seen James' tape and knew exactly what I was talking about. Immediately I regretted sharing with him why I had fainted. I shouldn't have been concerned about appearing idiotic, I should have been concerned about paining him. The agony of what had driven him away before became forefront on his face.

"Edward, none of what I remember about James is your fault. It was ridiculous of me to associate some phrases Phil said concerning baseball with a sadistic vampire attack that may have well happened even if you weren't in my life. Danger-magnet, remember?" I tried smiling.

"I thought you were trying to disprove that. The plane not crashing was a tally in the 'non-danger-magnet' column." He tried smiling back, but it looked forced.

"Edward…"

Phil's car drove up to the curb and interrupted our conversation. As painful it was, I felt a sudden glimmer of happiness. Edward wouldn't allow this to go undiscussed for long. I felt relatively assured that I would have a visitor that night…


	8. Chapter 8

The drive home and the hours that passed before bed were uneventful. Phil managed to stop my mom from calling the health inspectors on the restaurant and there was no more mention of my fainting episode. A pizza was ordered and we settled down to watch a movie. As Phil and my mom became in engrossed in the film, I watched Edward and noticed him discreetly discard his slices of pizza into his napkin. Soon he rose and offered to get everyone refills on their drinks and I watched him slip his pizza into the trash as he went into the kitchen. When he came back, I snuggled up against him, conveniently forgetting that Phil and Renee were there. They really weren't, anyway; the film that they chosen was one of their favorites and they were in their own little world. It suited me just fine as I relaxed against Edward's cold chest and entered my own.

After the movie was over, my mom showed Edward and me our rooms. Edward was in a guest room at the top of the stairs. The room was a pale green, with a dark green bedspread and golden accents. Its earthly decorum was pleasantly reminiscent of Forks. My room was down the hall, but not far, and I could tell that my mom had tried to make it mine. It was minimal and light; there was a simple elegance to it that made me sad as I thought how about how happy my mom was trying to make me. "It's a beautiful room," I said as we entered. She smiled back.

"It will always be here, Honey."

We said our goodnights and I got ready for bed. The house grew dark and I waited impatiently for Edward. Over an hour later, I heard a quiet rustle next to me and gazed up to see his overwhelming beautiful figure above me.

"What took you so long?"

"Oh, aren't we a bit impatient? Well, your mother happened to put me in a room where there is a wonderful box of pictures in the closet."

I cringed. "Oh," I replied, "how fortunate." I thought about it a bit, though, and asked him, "Will I ever see anything of yours from your…human life?" It was a bold question, but I was genuinely curious.

"Perhaps." He smiled and his eyes lit up. "I guess it isn't fair for me not to share when you so graciously do." I frowned. It wasn't my fault my life was completely uninteresting. His fascination with my past bewildered me. His past, on the other hand…

"Do you want to talk about earlier?" Edward abruptly changed the conversation. I sighed and murmured something about being tired. He seemed to understand. He began to hum as I drifted off to sleep.

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I woke up thrashing. Edward's cold arms were wrapped around me and I could hear his velvety voice trying to calm me down. "Shh, Bella. Everything is alright."

"Don't leave," I said meekly.

"I won't, I promise Bella. But you need to calm down or your mother is going to be in here."

After I sufficiently quieted, Edward whispered softly, "What was it?"

I hated to say it, for I knew it wouldn't keep him from asking, but all I could say was, "Nothing." It was the worst dream I had yet. All that had happened since Edward had come into my life had finally seemed to culminate into one horrific nightmare. I was in the mirrored-room, James standing threateningly before me. Aro, Marcus, and Caius were standing in the corner, Aro murmuring something about what a waste it was. Jane smiled malevolently near them, the Volturi guard Felix sulking next to her, as if he were jealous of James for whatever he was about to do. Next to Felix was Jacob, looking at me as if saying, "It's your own fault that this is happening."

Edward was…nowhere.

In the dream, I wasn't afraid of James. I wasn't afraid of the Volturi. Even Jacob's accusing glare and anger didn't frighten me. I was afraid that Edward wouldn't come. And he never did.

But now he was beside me, waking me up from the nightmare. Didn't I prefer him to be in my real-life rather than my dreams anyway? It would be unfair for me to want both.

"I don't think it was nothing, Bella."

"Well, my dream was your fault." Guilt and pain began to etch themselves on his face and I had to continue quickly. "The bug in the restaurant put ideas into my head. We were all sitting there, happily sipping our drinks, and this gigantic cockroach began scuttling across our table. It was horrible." I tried to look convincing, but I knew Edward would know I was lying, even if he couldn't read my thoughts.

He looked at me and must have seen something on my face for he frowned but nodded. "I apologize for giving you nightmares, then." Both he and I knew he wasn't apologizing for the cockroach dream.

"Don't apologize, Edward." I didn't know what else to say.

"Hmm." The guilt he felt was obvious. I would do anything to take the pain away, but I didn't know how. Wasn't it enough that he saw that bad things happened to me even when he wasn't around?

"Well, I have to admit that I do need to break my promise, though." I looked him, my eyes frantic and my face taught. He gazed back at me, an apology in his dark, black eyes.

"Oh." Realization hit me. "You need to go hunting."

"Yes."

"What are you going to hunt?" I really was curious, and the turn in conversation was allowing me to forget my terrible dreams.

"How close do you think we are to any alligators?"

"Alligators?"


	9. Chapter 9

Edward did not leave until early morning, causing him to return after the rest of us had woken up. He entered the house to see my mom and me standing in the kitchen. Renee looked at him questioningly and asked him where he had been.

"I went out for a run," Edward replied. His clothes looked a bit damp – my mom would probably contribute it to sweating; I wondered if he had been trekking through marshes.

"And out to get breakfast," I murmured quietly under my breath. I thought not even Edward could hear me, but he repeated what I said to my utter amazement.

"And out to get breakfast." He smiled at my shocked face, but my surprise disappeared as he produced a bakery bag, filled with croissants and bagels.

"That was so sweet, Edward," my mom said beaming. I was glad that she seemed to be approving.

"It was nothing," he said, but I could tell he was happy to have pleased her. I smiled at his response; it was like any teenage boy trying to impress his girlfriend's mom.

Phil entered the kitchen and grinned at the bakery goods. "Ah, breakfast!" He quickly grabbed one of the bagels and began devouring it. As we all began eating, Edward's cell phone rang. I knew it had to be one of his family members and wondered why they would be calling. Edward politely excused himself and went into the living room. I struggled to hear his conversation:

"Thank you for the heads-up, Alice. Of course I'll be able to take care of it. How? It shouldn't be too hard, Alice. It doesn't take… never mind. Yes, tell everyone I say 'Hello.' Good-bye, Alice."

He re-entered the room, smiling brightly and taking a seat next to me at the table. He bent over and whispered, "Danger magnet" into my ear, but didn't care to explain. I figured whatever was going to happen, though, couldn't be too bad or else he wouldn't be chuckling.

"I was thinking we could all go to a baseball game today," Phil said in-between bites of his second bagel. I groaned. Too bad it wasn't sunny – Edward would have been forced to come up with an excuse to why we couldn't go. But instead he complimented Phil on a wonderful idea and commented that it was unfortunate that the weather was so dismal. Yes, definitely unfortunate.

The baseball game started out to be more interesting than any of the other games I had been to. It helped to have a literal play-by-play of not only the actions but also the thought processes of the players. It made the game seem more intelligent and I could see that Edward, even in his mental and physical superiority, took an interest in minds of the athletes. Whenever my attention began to wane, Edward also entertained me with the thoughts of the people sitting around us. I thought about how awful the constant commotion and flood of thoughts of the crowded stadium had to be for Edward, but he didn't seem to be at all bothered.

After about four innings, my mom and Phil started to get up to go get us all some food. I knew Phil didn't really want to get up, so I offered to go help my mom. Phil flashed me a smile of gratitude. Edward, on the other hand, looked a bit anxious, but stood up to allow my mom and me to pass. I glanced back at Edward to see his brow slightly furrowed, but I contributed it to his not wanting to be alone with Phil. I couldn't figure out why that would be, but I continued to follow my mom up the stairs to the main concourse.

My mom and I hadn't walked too far before we found a suitable vendor to get lunch. We got in line behind a large group of people and began discussing the game, neither of us knowing much about what we were talking about. As we got closer to the counter, I was stunned by something suddenly striking my head. I soon found myself on the ground, but unlike the time in the airport, I knew that this time, it wasn't my fault. I gingerly felt my head to find a bump already forming. A baseball was lying within my line of view on the ground, only a few feet away from my head.

"Bella, Bella honey? Are you ok?" My mother's voice was frantic. I managed to nod my head and turned my attention to the eight or nine year old who was laughing as he retrieved his baseball. I narrowed my eyes and glared at him as a flushed and embarrassed man approached us. He began rattling off apologies but my mother merely ignored him and helped me to my feet.

"We need to go get this checked out, Bella. Don't worry, I'm sure it's going to be fine. The first-aid station is right down the walkway. I'm sure there will be a doctor available – accidents happen all the time." Tell me about it.

We began walking toward the first-aid station when I realized that Edward probably already knew what happened. He was sure to have been keeping tabs on Renee, and even though she didn't look outwardly worried about my injury, her fretting inside was what concerned me.

Sure enough, as we approached where the doctor was, I spotted Edward standing by the door. He looked upset and angry and was talking on his cell phone. My mom was too focused on me to notice him, but I overheard what he was saying:

"A foul ball, Alice? A foul ball? No, it wasn't a foul ball! I could have stopped a foul ball. Some idiotic kid hit her in the head while she was waiting in line to get food. Yes, I know it isn't your fault. I know, I should have kept my eye on her. No, I don't know if she's fine. I haven't seen her yet. I think it'll just be a small bump. I know, it could have been a lot worse. Yes, Alice. Alright, Alice. Bye." He shut the phone angrily as we got near and then smoothed out his expression. He walked toward us, but looked as if he didn't see us until we were only a few feet apart.

"There you are. I was wondering if you two needed any help." Edward looked at me and then acted like he had just noticed that I was leaning against my mom, my hand gingerly rubbing my head. He looked concernedly at me, then turned to my mom. "Did something happen?"

I spoke before my mom could answer. "Yes, Edward. A nice little boy saw fit to hit me in the head with a baseball. Completely unforeseeable and no one's fault but his." I added the last part for his benefit, but I didn't think it would be enough to make my mom suspicious. I tried to make my tone light, but he frowned all the same.

"I see. Just a small bump, I hope?"

"It isn't bad at all. Quite minimal compared to previous injuries of mine." He looked relieved but didn't respond. They both accompanied me to my examination which resulted in what I already knew and had heard before; 'no permanent damage, chance of a slight headache for the next few days, ice regularly, if necessary, consult a physician if feeling dizzy, sick, or unreasonably fatigued.' My mom thanked the doctor and we left, making our way back to our seats. Edward took over my mom's job of helping me walk and he held the ice pack that the doctor had given me against my head. I smiled at the realization that the ice pack would last longer than usual being in his cold hand. As we neared the stairs, my mom decided that she would just get Phil and we would leave. I seemed to be causing a lot of early exits lately. She motioned toward a bench nearby and told us to wait for her.

Edward and I walked over to the bench and I happily sat down. Edward did, too, but much more slowly and shaking his head.

"What am I going to do with you, Bella? Not even forewarnings from Alice are doing me any good anymore – is there a particular reason you attract any danger around you?"

"I wouldn't exactly call a nine year old wielding a baseball dangerous," I said, trying to smile. My tone was marred with sarcasm, though. "This one, at least, can in no way be considered your fault." But as soon as I brought it up, I saw that he certainly thought it was.

"Of course it's my fault. Alice told me you would get hit with a baseball. And I thought to myself 'how hard can that be to stop?' So I allowed myself to think that for once I could keep you from getting hurt and I didn't, Bella. I didn't."

"Edward, can you please stop for a moment and think about what you're saying? I could care less about being hit with a baseball." I took a breath; a baseball stadium was not the place for this conversation. I thought back to when I had been anticipating this trip to Jacksonville. How deluded had I been to think that this short vacation would somehow solve everything? I thought back and realized that I had been hoping that once it was over, somehow Charlie wouldn't be mad anymore, Edward would stop feeling guilty about everything, and…

"Edward, just make me into a vampire." I said it was a sense of finality and authority that shocked Edward out of his glum position.

"What?"

"I know we've had this conversation a lot. But really, don't you see that the only way to keep me from getting myself hurt is to be with you? To be with you… as a vampire?"

"Bella, no. We're not talking about this right now."

"Not even if we ran off and got married?"

"You really must have hurt your head." He shifted uncomfortably.

"Edward!" I was getting angry. I was glad that Phil must have managed to delay my mom so he could watch more of the game. They were nowhere in sight.

Edward looked at me and recognized the anger I was feeling. He also seemed to notice the despair that was beginning to course through me.

"Bella, I'm not leaving. I wouldn't even consider it. You are far too important to me to leave." He paused as a slight smile touched his lips. "I know you say that the bad things aren't my fault, and I honestly wish I could tell myself that they weren't, but I'm determined to make up for them. I promise you I won't leave. The only way I'll leave is if you don't want me anymore. And if it's in my power, I'll never let that happen."

My head felt better and my anger instantly dissipated.


	10. Chapter 10

Phil and my mom returned shortly thereafter, my mom still looking at me worriedly and Phil looking both concerned and disappointed. I knew he didn't want to leave the game.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" my mom asked as she and Phil approached.

I turned my attention from Edward to her, "Perfect, Mom."

"Are you sure, honey?"

"Of course, Mom." As she looked at me skeptically, I continued, "I've had worse – much worse."

"I guess you're right. You do have a flair for trouble."

Edward laughed in agreement. "She certainly does."

Phil decided to get his two-cents in. Addressing Edward, he said, "You must have a quite a job looking after her. I've never seen someone so accident-prone."

Edward chuckled, saying in a barely audible whisper, "You have no idea."

"Enough," I said. I looked around at everyone. Phil was shuffling his feet, clearly upset about having to leave before the game was over. My mom was shifting her glance from Phil to me, trying to decide who was needier; her daughter who had just been hit by a vindictive baseball-wielding nine year old or the man she loved who was pouting like a nine year old. Edward seemed to be gauging their expressions also. I decided to put a stop to all of the worrying.

"I'm feeling fine, really. I was thinking – there are not too many innings left and I think all I need is some fresh air. Why don't you two," referring to my mom and Phil, "stay and enjoy the rest of the game and Edward and I will just walk around the shops outside of the stadium for a bit. We'll meet right back here at this gate. Would that be alright?"

My mother looked distressed, but Phil looked eager. He really was a nice guy, but he didn't have that parenting instinct – for which I was glad. Finally, my mom seemed to decide that I wasn't going to go unconscious and that Edward and I would be fine. "Go ahead and enjoy the shops then. We'll be right here when the game is over."

I looked at Edward happily, surprised to find him frowning a bit but nodding. My mom and Phil turned around to return to their seats and Edward asked, "Are you sure we shouldn't be getting you home?"

"Of course not. Let's go."

The shops located near the stadium were mostly small and charming, an odd contrast to the loud and testosterone-dominant baseball field. It was apparent that they were targeted toward the poor wives whose husbands insisted on dragging them to the game. It was only fair that the husbands should in turn be dragged around shopping afterwards. I didn't have a particular like of either baseball or shopping, but I was thrilled when we stumbled upon an old and rare used bookstore.

"Edward! Can we go in there?" I gazed longingly at the window, taking a quick inventory of the display of old volumes whose age had only increased their appeal.

He looked at me slightly astonished. "Why couldn't we?"

As we walked into the bookstore, I saw two brunettes immersed in their browsing of the bookshelves. They both looked up briefly when we entered, but quickly returned their attention to the books. A few moments later, though, I noticed that their focus had changed once again. Both girls were openly staring at Edward, who was now leafing through a gilded tome and paying no notice to his admirers. I sighed inwardly. How often had I sought adventure and romance in books only to now understand that they presented mere shadows of true love and happiness? Yet the shadows were powerful; I could remember all too well how painful it was reading the books we had in English when Edward had left. I began my own perusal of the shelves, hoping that Edward's onlookers would someday find their own happiness and would stop gazing at the source of mine.

It wasn't long before I had chosen a good dozen books that I wanted and was trying to narrow it down. I finally decided upon four of them and was attempting to choose my favorite when Edward picked them all up and began walking to the register. I struggled to take them back, but Edward mentioned something about not needing to tax myself after injuring my head and not needing to risk hurting the books in a futile attempt to recover them. He proceeded to not only buy them, but also insist upon making a mental list of the other books I had been looking at. I couldn't help but smile as we left the store.

"You didn't have to do that, you know."

"It isn't a matter of 'having' to do anything, Bella. I just want you to be happy."

"Is that all? Then you may go return those books and we can continue walking around. You're all that it takes to make me happy."

He smiled, pulling me tighter to his side. We continued to window shop, but it wasn't long before we noticed the stadium emptying and we knew that Phil and Renee would be waiting for us. We made our way back to the gate to find them. It wasn't too difficult with Edward's help; within moments, Edward not only knew where they were, but also prepared me to be wary of a sulking Phil – the team for which he had been rooting had lost and Edward said he was taking it pretty hard.

"Taking it pretty hard" was an understatement; when we reached my mom and him, Phil looked as if he might cry. Sensing my confusion, my mother quietly informed me that this loss meant that the team was already drastically behind in the league, despite it being early in the season. A win may have turned the streak around. We quickly joined the hustle and bustle of the exiting crowd and after a few minutes, Phil seemed to recover. "I have my own game to worry about this week, anyway," he finally said. I was glad that the sulking wasn't going to last; I don't think I could have endured it.

"So did you find anything interesting while you were shopping?" my mom asked as we got into the car. Edward obliging got out the books and told her of our little adventure. She looked over the books quickly, but commented on the one.

"A book of vampire lore? How interesting."

I looked at the books in Edward's hands, stunned. There were five there: the four I had chosen and the book to which my mother was now referring. Edward grinned.

"That's mine. As you said, it looked interesting."


	11. Chapter 11

I stared uncomprehendingly at Edward and the vampire book. It was one of the most beautiful books I had ever seen; different colors of rich, dark pieces of leather were seamlessly fused to form an impressive cover, elaborate golden script was engraved on the binding to form the title, _The History of the Vampire_. It was a relatively undescriptive title, but chills ran down my spine. The pages were yellowed with age and the leather cracked, adding to the mystery and ancient feel of the tome. I gave him a questioning gaze, silently inquiring why he had purchased the book. I knew that he and his family, along with the rest of his kind, needed to remain wary of what others knew, or claimed to know, about vampires, but this book looked so ancient that I doubted that Edward was unaware of its contents.

He ran his hand across the book, almost caressing it, and opened the cover slightly so I could glance at the contents. It only took me a few seconds to find something that took my breath away. In faded, yet still painfully visible letters were the words "The Conquests of Father Marcus." I immediately knew the person to whom the story referred. Closing my eyes, I could see the streets of Volterra, the people throughout the city celebrating Saint Marcus Day. As they celebrated, the very "saint" whom they were commemorating was mercilessly massacring innocent people with the rest of the Volturi. I shuddered at the memory. Yet, the memory still held the same mix of emotions that I had felt on that occasion; despite the fear, despite the fear of my own death and more importantly Edward's, joy rushed through me knowing that Edward and I had been reunited. Even at this very moment, I couldn't help but rejoice in the fact that Edward was next to me, the Volturi a memory – a bitter memory, but a memory nonetheless. But now Marcus was here, maybe only in text, but my time in Volterra felt more real than it had in a long time. Edward closed the book, but in his eyes was a promise – a promise that he would tell me about the book later.

The drive seemed to be endless. My head began hurting again – whether it was because of the pain inflicted by the wayward baseball or my own anxiousness to read the legend of Saint Marcus, I didn't know. But my mother's pointless talk was lost on me, as was Phil's discussion with Edward about baseball. I just laid my head against the window and let Jacksonville pass by me. When we returned to the house, I excused myself to my room. I felt bad about leaving Edward with my mom and Phil, but I felt tired and just wanted to be alone. I also knew that the book would have to wait for nightfall when my unexplainable reactions to the stories wouldn't be questioned by my mom or Phil.

I must have fallen asleep, for when I opened my eyes, my room was pitch black and I could feel cold arms holding me. I turned to gaze at their owner. Edward's eyes reflected the little light that was in the room, a golden glow radiating from the face of an angel.

"How are you feeling?" the angel asked as I peered at him. I felt guilty being able to look upon such beauty.

"Perfect."

"'Perfect' as in you are lying to me or do you truly feel well?"

I scoffed at the word well. "I guess perfect is an inadequate word. It doesn't begin to describe how I feel when you are beside me."

He smiled. "Alright then. If you are feeling better, I'll share with you how I spent my evening."

I cringed – I had allowed Edward to be alone with my mom for hours. What had I done? Before I could even guess as to what had happened, Edward interrupted my thoughts.

"We watched some very enjoyable home videos." He grinned. I internally screamed. I tried to think back to every embarrassing moment my mother had ever captured on film; it was an impossible task – there were simply too many. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as they reddened. Edward brushed my face with his cold hand.

"I particularly enjoyed the dance recitals. I knew you took dance lessons, but I had a difficult time picturing you in a tutu. I could have, however, drained the blood of the other little girls who blocked you so often from view."

"You don't know how much humiliation those little girls spared me," I managed to say as I was nearly choked with embarrassment. "It was only because of them that people didn't notice how frequently I was scrambling on the floor rather than doing the routine."

"I could care less about the routine, Bella."

I laughed. "I wish my teacher would have felt that way." As I tried to suppress the mortification I felt knowing that Edward had watched my childhood videos, I remembered the events of the afternoon and what Edward had purchased. Changing the subject, I asked, "Do you have the book with you?"

"Oh, that. I guess you would like an explanation."

"Yes, please."

He sat up a bit, briefly releasing me so he could bring forth the book. It looked even more ominous in the dark. Realizing that it was difficult for me to see, Edward effortlessly reached to turn the light on my dresser table on. We both resituated and looked down at the book.

"A good many years ago," Edward began in his velvety voice, "the Volturi realized that much of vampire myth was becoming lost. Though it may have been more advantageous to allow the legend of vampires to die out entirely, Marcus, Caius, and Aro decided to record stories of their own making to prevent tales that may have reflected the truth about us more closely from being the only ones left. These stories of theirs were compiled in a book, the book you see before you, and copies were made so that the stories would spread. The stories incorporated some of the beliefs that were characteristic of all vampire myth, but also brought about new ideas about vampires that allowed vampires to take on more of a form – a form very much unlike real vampires. Remember the fanged teeth so predominant at the Saint Marcus Day festival? As you can see," he said, smiling wickedly, "no fangs. Hence, the Volturi accomplished what they desired and we are now sitting with one of their very own works."

"Are there many in existence?" I asked, slightly awed.

"No, not many. Had the Volturi had the technology of today, they would have seen to it that many more copies were made, but it was written in a time when books weren't exactly mass-produced. The stories, however, took hold quickly. As you see, most people have heard of vampires, although they might not know that they are in their midst."

I smiled. "I'm very glad that I am aware of the existence of a few vampires." I touched the book, feeling the old, cracked leather, lightly tracing the golden letters. Looking up at Edward, I whispered, "Can you read some of it?"

"If you want. Shall we start with the story of Saint Marcus?"

I inhaled softly and nodded.


	12. Chapter 12

A couple things to begin with: I apologize that I haven't updated in a bit…things have been a tad hectic. Also, I just wanted to mention that I in no way, shape, or form own the rights to Twilight or New Moon and I am not Stephenie Meyer. I believe it is a little obvious, but for the sake of putting up a disclaimer, there it is.

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Edward cleared his throat dramatically and inclined his head toward the weathered pages. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the tale that Edward's silken voice would breath to life. My ears, however, were only greeted with silence and I opened my eyes to find Edward looking at me intently. His golden eyes were questioning, his mouth in a slight frown.

"Are you sure you would like me to read?" He placed the book aside, freeing his cold fingers so he could lightly trace the contours of my face. The worry that dominated his features startled me a bit, and I wondered what had prompted such concern. I furrowed my brow slightly and he softly chuckled. "You did have quite a day. I know a baseball incident doesn't exactly measure up to a vampire attack, but perhaps you should sleep." My eyes narrowed. Sometimes his attention to my human frailties was endearing, sometimes it was irritating. A time when it would be considered irritating would be at the brink of an ancient legend about vampires – a legend that involved…acquaintances.

"Of course I would like you to read," I responded, somewhat stubbornly. The moment the words were out of mouth, though, I began to regret them. Darn my stubbornness! To be quite honest, I wasn't sure that I was mentally prepared for the possible terror that the book might contain. I attempted to reassure myself with the thought that the book contained mere fabrications – untruths about vampires meant to instill fear while misleading those who sought to destroy them. Granted, these fabrications were the very words of the Volturi, but my current curiosity of the book's contents outweighed my fear of its authors. "Please begin," I pleaded, my anticipation only increasing my apprehension.

"If you insist." Edward carefully re-opened the book, turning the yellowed pages until he found the right one. Peering at the book, a shudder ran through me as I saw the faded script – "The Conquests of Father Marcus." I felt Edward's hold on me tighten, but he began reading.

"In the year of our Lord 550, the lands of our forefathers were plagued with a terrible evil. This evil was manifested in a most monstrous and terrifying form – the form of those whom had once been loved yet had been taken by that most feared spirit, Death. The pain that people felt upon the loss of dear ones was increased tenfold by the dread that the corpse may once again experience life, but at an awful cost. These corpses were not possessed by the souls that had previously inhabited them, but were instead taken by those of evil and wicked disposition who sustained themselves with the blood of others. Many steps were taken to rid the land of these frightful creatures, but how could one bring death upon the undead? The courage and fortitude needed to battle such monsters were found in few. Thus, vampires, as they became to be called, ravaged the countryside, mercilessly killing innocents to satisfy their blood lust."

I felt the utter revulsion that I had experience the day we had been in Volterra overcome me. "The Volturi did realize they were talking about themselves, didn't they? How could they honestly admit that the deaths they committed, and still commit, were evil and not feel…?"

"Bella, I truly hope that you will never know what they mean by 'blood lust,' but… maybe someday you will understand. In their eyes, we are what we are, having no business in trying to resist our fate. They very well may see themselves as monsters, but they embrace it rather than oppose it. If we truly are damned, why not give in?" I knew he didn't believe what he was saying, but his eyes were sad, reflecting the age-old battle that he and his family fought to abstain from human blood. "Also, I do not believe they were trying to throw a positive light on vampires. It wouldn't have exactly served their purpose." He looked at me wearily, murmuring, "Shall I continue?"

I gently stroked his hand and responded, "Yes." He smiled slightly and continued.

"The villagers found no comfort except in prayer, hoping that one day the evil that plagued them would be defeated. In answer to their prayers, the Lord brought to them a missionary who held the promise of triumphing over evil. He was pure of soul and quick of mind, and was known as Father Marcus.

Father Marcus had hair as black as night, as black as the souls and hearts of those he opposed. He moved with grace, more like an angel than a being of this earth. His eyes were dark, shadowed by the sorrows that he had seen and sought to end. The villagers found their faith renewed and prayed for Father Marcus and his mission."

"If only they knew for whom they were really praying."

"Bella…"

"Alright, please continue."

"Sooner than anyone could have expected, Father Marcus found himself pitted against one of the Devil's own. A vampire, named Aro for the beloved but deceased man whose body had been possessed –"

"Wait, Aro included himself in this? As the vampire?"

"What harm existed in naming the vampire after himself? You have to remember that this was written long after 'Father Marcus' had been martyred in Romania and no one truly remembered the stories. Also, Aro is the most…avid about the history of our kind. I do not believe he'd let the stories be chronicled without including himself in them. And, notice that he referred to himself as the 'beloved but deceased man whose body had been possessed.'"

"Do you think he really thought about it in that way? That his transformation caused the good in him to die?"

"That, Bella, is what concerns me most." His face was grave and his voice strained. "Whether or not Aro felt as if his soul was lost is unknown to me, but _your_ soul is too important for me to risk." I was about to interject, but Edward continued, his tone lighter. "We are, however, talking about a story. Let's not give the Volturi too much credit by analyzing the deeper themes of the soul and damnation and concentrate on the more… entertaining aspects of this particular tale." I sighed but nodded my assent.

"The vampire Aro was particularly vicious, one whose hands were bloodied with the deaths of many. His hair was the blinding white of the hottest fires of Hell itself, his eyes as red as the blood he lusted after. His teeth were pointed into defined fangs that told of but one purpose – to puncture the skin of the innocents whose lives he'd take."

"Is that where the fang misconception originates?"

"I believe so."

"Alright, continue."

"Aro was also endowed with an evil and fearsome gift – the gift to read his victims minds. Many villagers told of the man who knew their deepest secrets and tortured them with their hidden thoughts before he stole their lives. As they died, they were not comforted with the memories of those they loved but instead were forced to listen to the recollections of the evils they had done."

"Ok, I'm sorry, but I have to interrupt again. If the Volturi were trying to tell lies about vampires to turn suspicion away from real ones, why would they include that Aro could read minds?"

"Perhaps to discourage those who sought to destroy vampires from doing so. It's not exactly comforting to battle the undead, especially if you aware that they have formidable talents. Also, most of the lies that they told about vampires concerned ways to vanquish them. If anyone ever did suspect Aro or one of the other Volturi of being a vampire, the methods the Volturi chose to promote to defeat a vampire wouldn't exactly work."

"Like what?"

"If you would stop interrupting, we would get there," his tone was teasing, but I knew he was slightly tired of my interjections. My lower lip protruded and my eyes widened into my best pouting face. A wicked smile replaced Edward's slight frown, and before I knew it, the book was pushed aside and I was utterly trapped in Edward's arms. Inwardly, I could not have been more content, but I tried to look slightly terrified.

"Oh no! The evil vampire who will suck my blood has captured me! Whatever shall I do?"

"Be very silent, or you will beckon those who try to save you to their deaths."

"Oh, then I must be very good and quiet then. Any suggestions on how to keep me preoccupied as you take my life?"

"Yes." Edward's cold lips found mine, his kiss making me wish that he really would take my human life so that I could be with him always. As the kiss deepened, I surrendered myself to only the thoughts of love and contentment that accompanied being with Edward. As always, we parted before I knew it, and I regretted the fact that I was the cause, that it was my fault that Edward's self-restraint was pushed too far. I sighed and looked at him.

"Please?"

"Continue the story?" he replied, but I knew that he understood what I was referring to. I sighed again.

"Yes."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Has it really been two months? I thoroughly apologize to everyone who has read this story and has been anticipating updates, time has been somewhat elusive. I hope that if any of you read A Nighttime Vigil that you enjoyed it and that it made up at least a little for my complete negligence of this one. But, without further ado, Chapter 13.

Disclaimer: The literary wonders that are Twilight and New Moon do not belong to me, nor do any of the characters or plots within them.

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I cringed as the sunlight poured through the window. All I could think about were vampires being burnt in the sun… and garlic and wooden stakes and coffins and crosses and upside-down burials…the list was endless. I never thought that so many ridiculous vampire misconceptions could be included in a single story, yet they all existed in "The Conquests of Father Marcus." The Volturi were extremely thorough, even in their lies. Edward had read into the night, but I had eventually fallen asleep when Marcus left the countryside of current-day Italy to further his mission in Romania, as if it had truly happened. The deep dread I had felt last night when Edward had started reading had dwindled quickly – as odd as it was, I almost felt less afraid of the Volturi as I listened to the absurd tales they expected people to believe. But that was the point; the more absurd the stories were, the less likely people were to believe in them. Now the vampire was considered a mythical creature of the night, gracing television screens and books, but never every day life. If only they knew…if only they knew what they could do. If only they could see them in the sunlight…

"Oh no!"

"What?" Edward's voice reached my ear, and I turned to see him quickly crossing the length of my room to come to my side. He looked concerned.

"Well, it's sunny!" I looked pointedly at Edward's forearms, which were slightly glistening as daylight filled the room.

"Oh, that's all." He seemed relieved, as if he were expecting some tragic news, as if some dire happening could have escaped his notice as he sat in the chair only a few feet away. I looked to see the book nearby on the floor. I was surprised that I had been able to sleep without his cold, strong arms around me – they seemed to be the only things that held me together at night. The only dreams I could remember, though, involved humorous images of Marcus frightening away Aro with cloves of garlic. I was not one who particularly liked garlic, but the idea of Aro being literally defeated by an onslaught of the pungent plant was simply too much.

"That book gave me nightmares," I said suddenly, trying my hardest to hide any hint of sarcasm.

He looked surprised. "Actually Bella, you didn't even toss and turn last night. You barely even talked." He tried to suppress laughter, but wasn't very successful.

I sadly knew why he was laughing.

"What did I say?"

It only took a moment of indecisiveness for him to choose to share. "Not the garlic! Not the garlic!" He tried mimicking my voice as he said it, but could hardly get it out for he was close to dying of laughter, if it were possible.

I laughed at the absurdity of it all, pleased that I could now conjure images of the Volturi without a looming fear of death. But the sunlight was still a problem, even if the myth of vampires turning to dust in sunlight was utterly untrue.

"What can we do today if the sun is out? What are we going to tell Phil and my mom?"

"Bella, there's nothing the matter. I can just stay here and you and your family can have a nice day alone. It may not seem like it, but your mother is having a difficult time seeing you and me together…this past year has been difficult for everyone."

I sighed. "I'd rather not do anything without you."

"Your day is only going to be tainted with my presence. I'll either hamper your mom's plans or merely bother her by being there and distracting you." He paused, seemingly debating what to say next. With a deep breath he said, "What if these are the last memories you have of your mother?" I could see the pain that flickered across his face when he said it. I knew he thought that if I were to be changed, I would regret that I could never see my family again. It saddened me to realize what I would lose, but it was worth it. I firmly believed it was.

"Human memories fade, Edward. If these are to be some of the last moments with my mom, I'd like you to be there so you can help me remember them." I knew he couldn't argue this. Wasn't the point to give me happy memories of my mother? What good were memories if I couldn't remember them?

He sighed but took my hand and we walked downstairs together.

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If I were to be honest, the last time I believe I played a card or board game with my mom was when I was of the grand age of eight. It seemed as if there had always been some kind of responsibility to be addressed by myself or that my mom couldn't focus on one thing long enough for us to ever enjoy playing. Yet, the easy conversation and not-so-occasional laughter that accompanied playing today created what may be one of my happiest memories. I was so glad that my mom had loved the idea of a nice day at home.

We started off playing Go Fish. One should never doubt Edward's audacity. To the utter and complete surprise of Renee and Phil, Edward managed to always ask the right person the card he was looking for. In the case of my mom and Phil, all he had to do was read their minds, though I never would have thought him to stoop so low over a silly card game. When he knew they didn't have them, he'd ask me, and, with his luck, or rather my lack of, I was constantly forfeiting cards. Edward won four games in a row before Phil, sulking over the consecutive losses, suggested playing another game. It was hard to stifle my laughter when Edward just smiled in response.

After a series of a few other games, my mom brought up the idea of shopping – just her and me. I shot a pleading look at Edward, but I knew that there was no way I could tell my mother no. In my heart, I couldn't help thinking that this may be the last time I saw her, with her knowing at least, and she deserved at least a few moments alone with me. So I agreed, leaving Edward with Phil to spend what I hoped to be at least a peaceful evening.

Shopping with my mother was… painful. Not painful in the sense that it was with Alice and Rosalie – I didn't have clothes being constantly thrown at me – but I had a more difficult time telling my mom that she couldn't buy me things. All she would do was look at me and say, "For my only daughter," and I immediately lost any chance of arguing.

The drive home was more morose than I would have liked. My mother kept bringing up trivial things that only annoyed me. I was fighting the desire to tell her how much I loved her and would miss her the entire time. I eventually settled for leaning my head against the window and let my mind be diverted by the inconsequential landscape.

That's when I saw it. We were passing a car dealership when I saw a yellow 911 Turbo, the exact car Alice had stolen for our whirlwind tour of Italy. Remembering Edward's promise to Alice, I couldn't wait to tell him. I knew it was a bit early for Christmas, but it was the first one since I had seen since our "trip." Also, if she hadn't seen Edward getting it in a vision, however unlikely, it would be the nicest surprise.

My mom and I got home and I immediately beckoned Edward to come upstairs with me while I put away my new clothes.

"I know," Edward said as soon as we were out of my mom's and Phil's hearing range.

"Know what?"

"About the car."

"Oh." I contemplated how he knew, but then realized that it meant Alice must have already seen it. Darn. "Well, I guess that ruins any chance of surprising Alice, but she must be expecting it now, so it wouldn't do to disappoint her."

"Alice didn't just see me buying the car." His face looked grim.

"What does that mean?"

"Well, I'd rather we just didn't worry about the car and go home as planned."

I frowned slightly. I didn't have a problem with Edward not purchasing Alice the car yet, but I wondered what Alice must have seen to cause Edward to be so opposed to the idea. I was about to ask, but Edward spoke before I could say anything.

"Bella, if we were to get that car, I may be tempted to do something I'd rather not… or at least not now."

I thought hard, attempting to figure out what it was. The only thing I ever felt that Edward was truly hesitant about was changing me, but what did that have to do with the car? Seeing the perplexity on my face, Edward continued.

"If we were to get that car, we'd have to drive it home. A cross-country road trip would present numerous opportunities for… accidents."

I immediately understood. Buying the car would necessitate driving it home, no matter how odd it would seem to my mom or even Charlie when he got the call hearing we had canceled our plane reservations. Though I thought I would enjoy a long drive home with Edward, I saw the perfect opportunity it presented for me to …die. It was if I were having my own vision – I could see Edward and me looking on from a distance as the car caught aflame after we had "crashed"… everyone, except for the Cullens, assuming that we dead. "Oh," was all I could manage to say. He just nodded glumly.

We stared at each other for an immeasurable amount of time, both of us thinking about what to say. I couldn't help but feel fearful. For once, my changing seemed almost tangible, as if I finally had the chance to become immortal. It was what I wanted, what I wanted more than anything in the entire world. But it seemed so… cruel to do it now; my mother and I had just seen each other for the first time in months. Was it fair to tear away from her her only daughter now? And Charlie? How would he feel having lost his daughter, for no matter how short of a time, to only have her never return? And things were still so tense. Would he ever be able to forgive himself, even if there was nothing to forgive? And Edward. Seeing the worry and sorrow in his eyes, knowing that I had yet to still completely win him over to the idea of turning me, even though he had promised, pained me.

"Edward, I'd prefer to be changed when you have fully embraced the decision. I know you insist that you never will, or at least not until I've said yes," I couldn't help but grin at the mere thought of marrying Edward, "so, maybe this chance isn't the right one."

"No _chance_ is going to be the right one, Bella, but I'm glad you agree that now, at least, is not the time." I wondered why he thought now rather than any other time was not the time. I refrained from asking, however, knowing that by asking him, I'd have to admit my own current reservations.

"I hope it's soon, though. I really am repulsed by the idea of wrinkles," I added lightly, even though the image of grandma immediately came to mind. He placed his cold hand on my cheek and smiled.

"Yes, because so many nineteen and twenty year olds have wrinkles." We both started laughing, temporarily letting ourselves believe that my getting wrinkles was our only worry.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: This is kind of a filler chapter…but a much sooner update than the last one! Sadly, it seems as if the next chapter will be the last unless I feel compelled to add more than I originally planned. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or New Moon.

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After Edward and I finished putting away my new purchases, we went downstairs. My mom was in the kitchen, Phil mindlessly watching sports on the television. I briefly pictured Charlie watching the game in the chair opposite him, leading me to wonder how he was doing. I would know soon enough – we were leaving the next morning, unfortunately rather early. I was surprised, though, that Charlie had never called; I didn't believe he trusted Edward enough not to run away with me while we were out of his reach… I felt bad about the part of me that desperately wished that Edward would.

I entered the kitchen, and my mom looked up from whatever concoction she was making. I took a brief glimpse and was relieved to see that it was a frozen pizza. I wasn't sure if I was up for a Renee special. Edward followed me in, and after she put the pizza in the oven, she motioned toward a door that I had oddly not noticed before.

"I haven't shown you two my basement yet!" my mom said, looking quite pleased with herself. I thought back to when I had first visited Edward's house. If he had been half as excited to show me his basement as my mom was now, I would have been frightened for my life. I was just happy that my mom had more of an interest in the arts and crafts than the mystical and dark arts. I doubted there would be anything spooky or remotely resembling the coffins and skulls that I had sadly worried about finding in the Cullen's house.

Just as I expected, the first thing I saw when we descended the stairs into the basement was an arts and craft table. Paper and glitter were scattered everywhere. I felt myself shudder as I noticed the photographs that were spread out sporadically amongst the paper.

"Scrapbooking," my mom said simply. I silently reminded myself to show her my own pitiful attempts when we went back upstairs.

In the corner, there was a small office, where I guessed my mom did her current wedding planning. I wondered how long that particular career was going to last – it was mean to think, but I hoped it didn't last long enough for her to insist on planning a possible upcoming wedding between a certain vampire and myself…

I turned around to look at the last part of the basement. I was a bit surprised by what I saw. In the corner, there stood an upright piano. It was not the old one that used to adorn our house in Phoenix but a slightly newer one, though it looked as if it had seen some wear. I wondered why it was down in the basement.

I looked at my mom questioningly and in a lowered voice she said, "My playing tends to annoy Phil a bit. He can't hear me as loudly if I'm down here – and you know how I play when I'm frustrated." She looked at me as she said the last part and I nodded knowingly. My mom truly loved to play, but she also had a tendency to take her anger out on the piano. Maybe it was a good thing that I had never won the lottery so I could buy her a grand piano. She would play quicker and quite a bit louder when she was worked up, inevitably leading to one or more of the keys to be out of tune when she finally finished her frenzied session. I closed my eyes, remembering my mother's face the last time she had walked away shamefaced from the piano – it was the first time I had told her I was moving permanently to Forks.

She interrupted my reverie by looking at Edward and asking, "Do you play at all?"

Edward looked a bit uncertain about how he should answer. I nudged him a bit. I'm not quite sure how he interrupted my ambiguous gesture, but he nodded his head and answered yes.

"Oh, how wonderful! I wouldn't want to impose, but would you mind playing? I've never been very good and Bella never displayed any desire, but I really love music."

Edward chuckled and said, "Any requests?"

I knew the question was more directed to my mom than to me, but I mumbled, "Esme's favorite, if you wouldn't mind." He nodded in acquiescence and sat down.

It was easy to lose oneself in the music that Edward seemed to so effortlessly produce. I watched my mom as her expression transformed from expectant to awed to purely spell-bound. I couldn't help but feel a surge of pleasure and pride. It wasn't long, though, before I stopped watching my mom to allow myself to focus solely on Edward's enthralling music. I imagined myself sitting next to him with my head on his shoulder as he played – a perfect picture of happiness. Was it so wrong for me to want that for forever?

I was startled when the music ended. It was odd for another song not to begin… I had fallen into the habit of putting Edward's CD on endless repeat when he was away. I saw that Edward was smiling and my mom looked…dazed. I wonder what thoughts, if any, were going through her mind – her face looked completely blank. She turned to Edward.

"That…was…amazing…"

"Thank you, Mrs. Dwyer."

"Um…Renee's…fine…" My mom looked like the teachers at school when Edward unintentionally dazzled them. I stifled laughter.

"Hey, that wasn't you, was it Renee?" Phil popped his head in the doorway upstairs. My mom finally seemed to snap out of it at the sound of his voice. "I haven't heard you play in awhile, but that was…really good."

"No, it was Edward, honey. Quite a player, don't you think?"

"Quite. The game's over – do you think I could get something to eat?"

"Oh! The pizza! I completely forgot!" She proceeded to run upstairs, causing Edward, Phil, and I all to burst out laughing. Edward remained sitting at the piano bench and I took my normal place next to him.

"Edward, it really isn't fair when you do that."

"What?"

"Dazzle people like that. It's one thing to play well, but honestly, I thought my mom's jaw was going to drop off." I tried to sound severe, as if I could really manage to scold him in any way, but I was smiling brightly.

"You're just proud, aren't you?"

"You're just a bit smug, aren't you?"

He flashed me a crooked smile and I put my head on his shoulder as he began playing my lullaby.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Once again, it has been a horrendously long time since I lasted updated – my sincere apologies. This is officially the last chapter of Jacksonville; I hope you have enjoyed reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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I yawned heavily as I attempted to grab my suitcase before Edward could take it. But I was too slow, even more so than usual due to the early hour, and Edward had my carry-on over his shoulder in a blink of an eye. I would have protested, but I was too tired.

Edward and I had been up late and, though he might not be affected by a lack of sleep, I was exhausted. I knew I would have no qualms about sleeping on this particular plane ride.

Both my mom and Phil were up to send us off to the airport. I had told my mom that she needn't bother – we had said our goodbyes the night before – but she insisted on taking us. I knew we could have gotten a taxi, but I had agreed quickly to my mother's proposal; I wanted as much time with her as I could get, even if I were dead tired.

I was glad that Edward and I had made the trip to Jacksonville. Even though it made me sad to realize that it might be the last time I would see her, it had shown me something very important – she was happy. She loved Phil. She loved Jacksonville. As much as I knew it would pain her if I "died," she wouldn't be alone. Now all I had to worry about was Charlie…

Only a few people were milling about the airport – fewer witnesses to my usual lack of coordination as a stumbled, tripped, and floundered my way to the terminal, even with Edward's arm securely around my waist. As soon as we boarded, I sat down in my comfortable first class seat and sighed happily. I heard Edward chuckle as he sat down beside me. I laid my head on his cold shoulder and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

The sound of the pilot's voice announcing our arrival to Port Angeles aroused me from my stupor. Despite the usual hustle and bustle associated with getting off a plane, Edward and I managed to exit rather quickly and make our way into the airport.

We didn't walk too far before a familiar face greeted my eyes. I was slightly surprised by our welcome party – I had expected the Cullens, or at least Alice, to be waiting for us. Instead, Charlie was there, looking happy and relieved at our safe return. I momentarily separated myself from Edward to run up and greet him.

"Hey, Dad." He laughed, slightly embarrassed, as I put my arms around him.

"Hey, Bells. I'm glad you're home," he replied, returning the uncharacteristic show of affection by hugging me back tightly.

"It's nice to be home."

And it really was. Regardless if I became a vampire and traveled and lived in a thousand places, I knew I would always think of Forks as my true home. As we drove in the cruiser, it seemed as if each green tree we passed reminded me of a little bit of what had become my own fairy tale… the story of a plain girl who, after having exiled herself to a miserably rainy town, had stumbled upon the very fabric of ancient legends and had fallen irreversibly in love. The tale was certainly marred a bit by periods of heartbreak and horror, but I _would_ ensure that there was ultimately a happily ever after.

As I felt my resolve hardening, I became aware that my hand was being lightly squeezed. I was startled out of my thoughts and turned to see Edward looking at me curiously. He inclined his head slightly, drawing my attention to the fact we had arrived to the house. I could feel the warmth rising to my cheeks as I realized I had spent the entire car ride day dreaming. Edward chuckled and helped me out of the car. Charlie was already getting the luggage out of the back of the cruiser.

"Would you like me to give you a ride out to your house, Edward? I forgot to ask before."

"Oh, it's quite fine, Chief Swan, but thank you for asking. I'll just give Alice a call – I'm sure she's expecting it." Edward and I shared a private smile as he pulled out his phone and dialed, his fingers flashing across the keys.

The conversation was brief, and within no more than five minutes, a silver Volvo was speeding quickly into view. Charlie looked at Alice sternly as she stepped gracefully out of the car and she smiled back innocently. His face become flustered, but he managed to murmur something about speed limits and his responsibility as a cop and such. After giving me a quick hug, Alice politely listened and nodded her head, picking up on the parts of the driving lecture that I could not hear being uttered by my clearly uncomfortable father. Somewhere in between the conversation, I completely missed the departure of not only Alice, but Edward, too. I sighed, grabbing my one bag as I followed Charlie into the house.

I quickly alighted the stairs, managing to not trip on a single one, even with my suitcase. I was quite proud of myself, not that there was anyone who had either witnessed it or would believe it possible if I told them. I unpacked, taking my time to put everything back in its rightful place, although I was sure Charlie was eager to hear about my trip; I had apparently not done much talking during the car ride home.

When I came downstairs, my dad was just sitting down to turn on the television. I laughed quietly to myself, wondering what game was on. He noticed that I had come down, though, for he turned towards me and inquired about my stay in Florida.

I told him everything, or nearly everything, that we did – from the supposed cockroach in the restaurant, to the wayward baseball, to the board games and shopping. I ensured him that I had had a really great time, but I was truly happy to be home. He smiled appreciatively at my mention of 'home.' I hadn't thought about it before, but I wondered if he thought that my visit would make me want to move back in with Mom. I silently laughed at the idea – there was only one other place that I could possibly feel more at home, and that place was waiting for me after graduation.

"How was your weekend, Dad?"

"Not too eventful." He picked up the television remote to change the channel and continued, "Billy and Jacob came over last night." I cringed at the possible implications of such a visit.

"That's nice Dad. Was it a pleasant visit?" I still refused to think of Jacob as being anything but my best friend, but I couldn't help but think of the feelings of sadness, anger, and even resentment his face and actions had betrayed the last time I saw him. I worried that in somehow attempting to prevent the inevitable, he may have mentioned something or other about the Cullens. Not that he could bring up their being vampires – his treaty bound him and he would risk his own exposure – but would he try something else?

Charlie interrupted my worries with a brief reply. "Yea, it was nice. We watched the game and had some pizza." He paused thoughtfully. "Speaking of which, I hope your mother didn't try to poison you with any of her cooking while you were there."

I laughed, both relieved by the turn in conversation and amused by the question. "No, we ate a lot of pizza, too." I yawned, not realizing that I was still tired even after sleeping on the plane. "I'm feeling pretty exhausted. I think I'm going to head upstairs."

"Alright, Bells. Sleep well."

I began trudging up the stairs when I heard my dad calling.

"Hey, Bells?"

I felt myself freeze. I couldn't help but fret that something similar to the comment, "Oh, Billy and Jacob mentioned something odd about the Cullens while they were here" was about to come out of his mouth.

"Yes, Dad?" I asked timidly. He got up from his chair and grabbed what looked like two envelopes. He walked to the stairs.

"You got two rather official looking letters in the mail while you were gone. They're from the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University. They look like they might be acceptance letters…"

My fear dissipated, changing into confusion. What? I had never applied to those schools. I immediately, however, knew who did. I grabbed the letters furiously, my father looking startled. I tried to cover my anger by replying, "It's about time they got back to me." I hoped my father didn't realize that I had never showed any interest in schools that were remotely where it was sunny.

I took the letters upstairs with me, rushing into my room and closing the door. Edward was there, right where I hoped he would be, lying casually on my bed. His features became guarded, though, when he gauged my expression.

"What?"

"What? What? That's what I would like to know. What are these?" I waved the letters in front of his face, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, those. I do believe they may be acceptance letters."

"But why, Edward, would I be receiving acceptance letters to schools to which I never applied?"

"I…may have filched a couple of your application essays and filled out a form or two," he said, the slight bit of apprehension in his voice surprising me.

"Why?" I asked, trying to be calm.

"Well…" he paused, then continued, "I didn't know how much you would enjoy Florida. I thought if you liked it, and you wanted to be near to your mother, that you should attend school there. I didn't want you to limit your choices because of me." He smiled, but it was a small smile.

I looked him straight in the eyes. "Edward, you know I never want to be anywhere where you aren't –"

He cut me off. "Bella, I never said I wouldn't be there, too." He proceeded to pull two familiar looking envelopes out of his jacket pocket. They looked oddly like the ones I had in my hand…

"But…but…"

"Granted, I don't know how often we'd be able to be outdoors. I'm afraid we would have to be secluded type."

I briefly considered that. I didn't think I would mind too terribly…

"You know, college is still Plan B…" I added lightly.

Edward took my hands in his, entwining my warm fingers with his cold ones. Peering into my eyes, he murmured with the utmost sincerity, "I know."

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A/N: This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has read this story and especially to those of you who took the time to review. You all made writing this a truly wonderful experience. Thank you! 


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